The Ghana Rice Inter - Professional Body (GRIB) in its five years strategic plan ending 2017, has establishment the Ghana Rice Business Centers (GRBCs) within the various rice growing zones of the country, aimed at delivering effective commercial services to rice value chain actors.

The center, located at Asutsuare is the first to be opened officially in the country for the industry actors including producers, aggregators, millers, marketers, service providers.

The launching of the center which was in attendance all stakeholders in the rice industry within the Shai Hills, Osu Doku district, representatives from Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), JAK Foundation.

Representatives were also drawn from various key partners working with GRIB to run the center including Addicent Foods, Regional Marketing Group (RMG) and Agricultural Manufacturing Group (AMG).

Mr. Imoro Amoro, President, GRIB speaking at the official launch explained the various challenges facing the actors in the rice value chain industry as it create huge supply gap of locally produced rice in the country.

This challenges, he observed includes access to credit, access to certified seeds, mechanisation services, access and cost of inputs, marketing of produce, irrigation and land development in the cultivation of rice.

It is imperative as a way to mitigate this to have a strategic change in orientation where value chain actors discard the charity model of receiving agricultural support and embrace the business approach to agriculture, he said.

Mr. Amoro explained that the GRBCs are to assist rice value chain actors to overcome these challenges, especially the members of GRIB in good standing, they will enjoy the centers’ services at subsidised prices.

He explained that services to be provided by the center include; Mechanisation services such as tractor services for large production areas, power tiller services to small production areas, threshers, combine harvesters, reapers.

The services will also include market oriented advisory services, business development services, book keeping and accounting services, input distribution, market facilitation, GPS mapping, fee based training and equipment maintenance services.

Mr. Amoro urged government and all development partners to help setup more of such Centres which will go a long way to improve the productivity and quality of rice produced, processed and packaged in the country.

Mr. Ken Addy, the representative from Regional Marketing Group; Ms. Dorothy Opoku from Agricultural Marketing Group and Mr. David Ntorinkansah from Addicent Foods, all in their emphasised on farmers adopting good agricultural practices and the use of appropriate chemicals in right quantities to increase crop yields.

They assured all stakeholders that, the center will constantly be stocked enough to meet their demands.

Mr. Ntorinkansh said there will be constant availability of all the needed machines for field operations or works at the center.

Mr. Derrick Badu Boateng representative of MoFA commended GRIB for such initiative and encouraged farmers to make good use of the center by visiting to obtain all needed inputs, services and technical advice to increase the quality and quantity of their yields which will in turn increase their income thereby improving their standard of living.

Nana Kwabena Adjei Ayeh II, Vice President, GRIB officially opening the center for the commemnecement of business educated the stakeholders on the usage and dosage of the agrochemicals and the fertilizers and this was done concurrently with promotional sale of the stock.